Medication metering device

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is an apparatus which automatically charges a hypodermic syringe or the like, with a predetermined metered amount of medicinal solution such as insulin or the like. A pedestal or base member carries the syringe and the container for the medicinal solution in a precisely spaced relationship such that retraction of the plunger of the syringe against an adjustable stop bar draws the precise predetermined amount of solution into the syringe.

United States Patent [191 Hults 1 Apr. 8, 1975 i 1 MEDICATION METERING DEVICE [76] Inventor: Wayne P. I-Iults, 240 W. Ohio Ave.,

Rittman, Ohio 44270 [22] Filed: Feb. 14, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 332,348

[52] US. Cl 141/27; 141/375 X; 128/218 C [51] Int. Cl B65b 3/04; B65b 3/30 [58] Field of Search 141/375 X, 329, 330, 27;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,610,241 10/1971 LeMarie 141/375 Primary E.\'aminerRichard E. Aegerter Assistant E.\aminerA. .l. Mirabito Attorney, Agem, or FirmHamilton, Renner & Kenner [57] ABSTRACT Disclosed is an apparatus which automatically charges a hypodermic syringe or the like, with a predetermined metered amount of medicinal solution such as insulin or the like. A pedestal or base member carries the syringe and the container for the medicinal solution in a precisely spaced relationship such that retraction of the plunger of the syringe against an adjustable stop bar draws the precise predetermined amount of solution into the syringe.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures self-injection.

MEDICATION METERING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for charging a hypodermic syringe with a metered amount of solution. More particularly, this invention relates to a device which will consistently charge a syringe with a preselected amount of solution from a container upon each use thereof.

Numerous people are afflicted with some disorder or disease which requires repeated, and often daily, injections of medication in order to alleviate the affliction or prevent compounding of the disease. Diabetics, for example, most often require daily injections of insulin to restore the normal ability of the body to utilize sugars and other carbohydrates. Such injections are usually self-administered in an amount prescribed by the physician, which amount can vary from person to person dependent on the extent of the diabetic affliction.

In order to self-administer drugs such as insulin, the patient usually has a supply of disposable hypodermic syringes and bottles of the insulin or the like, with each bottle lasting for several injections. The syringes are most often calibrated along the body thereof so that the patient can fill the syringe to the dosage prescribed by the physician. However, it is often difficult for the patient to consistently meter the precise amount of solution into the syringe partially because of the reaction time required between seeing the desired amount and actually ceasing the retraction of the hypodermic plunger. These problems are compounded when h patient is afflicted with a nervous condition or even poor or no eyesight which is quite prevalent i h older person where diseases such as diabetes m often are found. Even with most careful and precise handling, the correct dosage of medicinal solution is rarely exactly duplicated from injection to injection Thus, numerous patients and even some hy i i either incapable of administering, or improperly administer, proper dosages of injections.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is thus a primary object of the provide a device which will char ringe with a preselected amount It is another object of the pre vide a device, as above, which w cise amount of solution into the plication thereof.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device, as above, which can be adjusted to charge the syringe with any prescribed dosage.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device. as above, which can be operated by people having failing or poor eyesight or other infirmities to satisfactorily and precisely charge the syringe for present invention to ge a hypodermic syof medicinal solution. sent invention to proill meter the same presyringe upon each apowing dets hereinafbarrel portion of the syringe and another holds the lip or flange at the plunger end of the body to prevent axial movement of the syringe upon movement of the plunger. The base member also carries a bottle support. As a standard pharmaceutical bottle is placed in its support, it is pierced by the hypodermic needle and contacts a stop bar located on the base such that the needle is inserted into the bottle to the proper depth. Withdrawal of the syringe plunger then draws the solution into the syringe until the plunger contacts a slide bar which is adjustably mounted on the support. As long as the slide but remains in the same axial position with respect to the syringe. the exact and predetermined amount of solution will be inserted into the syringe upon each use of the apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus according to the present invention showing an adjusted position of the slide bar in phantom.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of an apparatus according to the present invention showing the bottle support partially broken away and showing the retracted position of the plunger in chain lines.

FIG. 3 is an end elevation taken substantially along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An apparatus for metering a preselected amount of solution into a hypodermic syringe is generally tndtcated by the numeral 10 in the drawings. A pedestal or base member 12 carries a syringe support block 14 having a generally U-shaped recess 16 therein which is adapted to receive the body portion or barrel 18 of a conventional hypodermic syringe generally indicated by the letter S. The axially forward portion of barrel 18 of syringe S converges into a sheath-like portion 20 through which extends the conventional hypodermic needle 22. The axial other end of syringe S includes an annular gripping flange or hub 24 which is received within a slot 26 in a clevis-like syringe holding bracket 28 mounted on base 12. Bracket 28 thus prohibits axial movement of the syringe S. Bracket 28 also has U- shaped recesses 30 therein to support the end of syringe barrel portion 18 in a manner much like recess 16 of block 14. Syringe S terminates rearwardly in a conventional plunger 32 which is movable axially of the other syringe components. A conventional syringe can thus be positively positioned and supported by block 14 and bracket 28 with its axis generally parallel to base 12 and can be fixed axially by positioning flange 24 in slot 26.

A bottle support block 34 is positioned proximate the needle end of syringe S and is shown as a generally Square member having a bottle retaining recess 36 therein. Recess 36 is shaped to snugly receive a bottle B which contains the medicinal solution. While the shape of recess 36 can be made to vary according to the particular bottle for the particular drug needed by the patient, a generally square recess 36 for the generally square bottle B, which along with a circular bottle is standard for insulin, has been shown as a non-limiting example herein. It should also be evident that a circular bottle of a diameter essentially corresponding to the size of a square recess 36 could be snugly received therein.

The bottle B is slid into recess 36, as shown in FIG. 1, until the lip thereof contacts a stop bar 38 mounted on base 12. The needle 22 of syringe S extends slightly beyond and above bar 38 so that as the bottle B is slid toward bar 38, needle 22 will pierce a conventional self-sealable rubber plug in the neck of bottle B and enter the bottle to communicate with the liquid, generally indicated by the letter L, therein. Thus, the needle 22 of the syringe S is always in proper communication with the medicinal solution by virtue of the positive positioning of the syringe S and the bottle B with respect to each other. In actual practice, the needle penetrates the bottle only to an extent of about one-sixteenth of an inch.

With the syringe and bottle so positioned, the plunger 32 can be depressed to the solid line position in FIG. 2 to force a certain amount of air into the bottle. Release of the plunger permits it to move rearwardly to the chain line position in FIG. 2, at least partially under the influence of the air in bottle B, thereby drawing liquid L into the barrel 18 of syringe 5. As the bottle empties, the air pressure may not be sufficient to automatically move plunger 32, in which case the person operating the device can merely assist the rearward travel of the plunger. As the bottle approaches the half empty state, the apparatus must be placed generally vertical during operation so that the needle 22 is always in communication with the liquid L.

Whether being drawn rearwardly automatically or by hand, the extent of the movement of plunger 32 and thus the amount of liquid L permitted to enter barrel 18 is regulated by a stop slide indicated generally by the numeral 40. Slide 40 is L-shaped in cross-section and includes an upstanding stop bar 42, being somewhat triangularly shaped to permit ready access to plunger 32, and a generally horizontal slide branch 44 having a recess 46 therein which engages the periphery of base 12.

Base 12 includes a longitudinal slot 48 in which can move the shank 50 of a lock bolt, generally 52, having a head 54 which rides within a recess 56 in base 12 beneath slot 48. Bolt 52 extends upwardly through slide branch 44 of stop slide 40 and receives a lock nut 58 having a knurled head 60. Stop slide 40 can thus be positioned longitudinally along base 12 and locked in place by a tightening of nut 58.

In practice, either the physician or the patient can set the stop slide 40 at the desired position for the prescribed injection (an alternate position being shown in phantom in FIG. 1) and thereafter the exact amount of solution will always be drawn into the syringe in the manner previously described. The original setting,

which can, of course, be altered at any time the physician would so direct, can be initially set using the grad uations or calibrations 62 inscribed on base 12 along slot 48 (with no units being shown in FIG. 1) or could be set using the calibrations on the conventional syringe. Once so positioned, however, the calibrations on the syringe need never be referred to and any patient will be able to quickly and efficiently meter the proper amount of medicinal solution into the syringe. Once accomplished, bottle B may then be removed from block 34 thereby freeing the syringe for subsequent injection.

It should thus be evident that an apparatus constructed as described herein enables the physician or patient to repeatedly charge a hypodermic syringe with a preselected amount of medicinal solution, thereby accomplishing the objects of the invention and otherwise substantially improving the medical art.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for transferring a preselected amount of solution in a container to a syringe having a needle, axially extending body portion, and axially movable plunger comprising, a base member, means carried by said base member for holding the container in a position to communicate with the needle of the syringe, means carried by said base member for carrying the syringe in a position generally aligned with the container, means carried by said base member for prohibiting axial movement of the body of the syringe, and means carried by said base member for stopping the axial movement of the plunger of the syringe, said means for stopping including a bracket slidably mounted on said base member, so that a preselected amount of solution is drawn into the body of the syringe as the plunger is drawn away from the body of the syringe.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising stop means to positively position the container with respect to the syringe.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the body portion of the syringe has an annular flange thereon and said means prohibiting axial movement of the body portion of the syringe includes means gripping said annular flange.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means to stop the axial movement of the plunger is adjustable generally axially of the syringe.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bracket includes a stop portion impeding the axial movement of the plunger and a slide portion angular of said stop portion.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said base member has a generally axially oriented slot therein, a lock bolt extends through said slot and said slide portion of said bracket to guide the axial movement of said bracket.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising means to lock said brackete to said base member at a preselected position along said slot.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising graduation means on said base member proximate said slot to assist in the preselected positioning of said bracket along said slot. 

1. Apparatus for transferring a preselected amount of solution in a container to a syringe having a needle, axially extending body portion, and axially movable plunger comprising, a base member, means carried by said base member for holding the container in a position to communicate with the needle of the syringe, means carried by said base member for carrying the syringe in a position generally aligned with the container, means carried by said base member for prohibiting axial movement of the body of the syringe, and means carried by said base member for stopping the axial movement of the plunger of the syringe, said means for stopping including a bracket slidably mounted on said base member, so that a preselected amount of solution is drawn into the body of the syringe as the plunger is drawn away from the body of the syringe.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising stop means to positively position the container with respect to the syringe.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the body portion of the syringe has an annular flange thereon and said means prohibiting axial movement of the body portion of the syringe includes means gripping said annular flange.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means to stop the axial movement of the plunger is adjustable generally axially of the syringe.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said bracket includes a stop portion impeding the axial movement of the plunger and a slide portion angular of said stop portion.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said base member has a generally axially oriented slot therein, a lock bolt extends through said slot and said slide portion of said bracket to guide the axial movement of said bracket.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising means to lock said brackete to said base member at a preselected position along said slot.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising graduation means on said base member proximate said slot to assist in the preselected positioning of said bracket along said slot. 